TDTI: The First Adventure
by MorceRyudo
Summary: Book 1. This is the story of a unique Riolu, the circumstances surrounding his transformation from Human to Pokémon, and his adventures. This is the story of Morce Ryudo. This is how the story of The Dimensional Traveling Immortal began.
1. The Awakening(revised)

Udate:8/?/13

Okay, I'm rebuilding my profile, and I'm smashing my stories to bits and pieces, minus TLPM, as it is the only one that was written to a standard that I could build on and fix. The rest are going to be completely renovated and re-done.

* * *

><p>Update:1130/13

Me:Okay! Just got this posted last night, finally. It took me too long, I know, but I'll try to update faster. More news to come at a later date!

Disclaimer: He doesn't own Pokémon and never will. I'm done here.(poof)

Me:(sweatdrops) What's with him today? Anyways, starting the story in 3...2...1...

* * *

><p><strong>TDTI: How the<strong> **Jūrei Rixyuu** **Began (Under Morce Ryudo)**

**Book 1**

**Chapter 1: The Awakening**

The rain whipped through the wind as the storm raged on. Not much could be seen, and even less could be heard. However, two voices breached the Space-Time Continuum...

"Hold on, I know you can! We've been through much worse than this!"

A flash of lightning.

"I know, but something is pulling...No, forcefully separating us apart! I just can't keep my grip!"

The roar of thunder.

"Don't just give up! We're almost there!"

"I know, but..."

More lightning.

"Don't let-!"

The voice was cut off as the rip in Space-Time closed, lost in the middle of the storm.

_Many hours later..._

A Pokémon washed upon the shore of a beach, unconscious. He slowly opened his eyes half-way, though he couldn't make out anything besides blurry shapes. 'What? Where...am I? My name is...is...ugh. Cant remember...no, can't forget...must...stop them...Loosing grip...reality...must not...give up...must fight...Primal...Dark...' were his last thoughts before the darkness swiftly embraced him.

_Unknown amount of time later..._

Not too far away, a Vulpix was pacing back and forth in front of a large and funny looking structure. The structure was Wigglytuff's Guild, a hot spot known to adventurers far and wide. In fact, the Guild was so famous that rumors had reached the other side of the world, though none had attempted to seek it out as of yet. The reason the Vulpix was there was the same as every other Pokémon who wasn't looking for help; to form an exploration team. Unfortunately, the Vulpix didn't have much confidence, or so it would seem at first glance...

"Oh, I wish I could just summon up the courage to go in there!" the Vuplix exclaimed before gulping. "M-Maybe...I'll give it a shot." She then stepped above a grate on the ground, from which a voice shouted out, "Pokémon detected, Pokémon detected! Whose footprint, whose footprint? The footprint is Vulpix's, the footprint is Vulpix's!"

At this point the Vulpix jumped back away from the grate with a shocked look. "W-Well, t-that wasn't what I expected." The Vulpix exclaimed, still startled. The Vulpix sighed before taking out a rock like thing with a unique pattern on it.

"Ever since I found this little treasure, I've had dreams of starting an exploration team. It would be so much fun going on adventures, helping out Pokémon, getting stronger, and finding treasure...Maybe even discovering something new; a place never yet discovered!" the Vulpix said with enthusiasm and shining eyes. "Unfortunately, I've never really had the courage to actually set foot inside the guild...I've heard it's extremely harsh and it never felt right, attempting to start a team by myself...Maybe I can find someone to work with. A partner maybe?" the Vulpix sighed. "I think I'll just go to the beach; I've always felt calm when staring at the water, especially at sunset."

With that, the Vulpix walked down the stairs and away from the guild. Unknown to the fox Pokémon, two other Pokémon, who had been hiding and listening the entire time, decided to make their presence known.

"Did you get a load of that, Zubat?"

"You bet I did Koffing. That Pokémon sure seemed wimpy to me." The Zubat remarked.

"Yes, but...did you see that treasure the wimp had? It could be something good..." the Koffing muttered.

"So do we go after it?" The Zubat asked. The Koffing turned to him with an evil glint in his eyes.

"What do you think?"

* * *

><p>The Vulpix had just arrived to a beautiful scene of a sunset on the beach. The bubbles from the Krabby in the area also added to the serenity. The Vulpix stretched before lying down on the sand, staring outwards towards the sea.<p>

"...I'll never get tired of this." The Vulpix then turned towards the right, only to see something out of place. "Hm? What's that?" The Vulpix slowly got up and walked towards something lying on the sand. As the fox-like Pokémon got closer, the shape became more distinct.

"Oh my! I think that's a Pokémon over there!" the Vulpix ran over the rest of the way. "Hey, are you okay!" the Vulpix shouted once next to the Pokémon. The Pokémon twitched a bit.

'...?' The Pokémon moved a little. "...ow." The Pokémon groaned before standing up, only to fall down again.

"Are you alright? Here, let me help you stand." The Pokémon gratefully put his paw on the Vulpix's back to help steady himself.

"Yeah...I'm fine." the Pokémon replied. 'I wish I knew where I was...though it's definitely colorful...Wait, why would I think that?'

"Thank goodness. I saw you lying there unconscious, and I assumed the worst. I'm curious, though, about how you ended up there in the first place."

'Hmm...How did I end up here? The last thing I remember is...' The Pokémon's eyes widened drastically. 'I can't remember a thing! This can't be good.' The Pokémon regained his composure as quickly as it was lost. "I'm not quite sure, miss...?"

The Vulpix blushed, realizing that names had not yet been exchanged. "Sorry, my name is Amane. I was so concerned that I forgot to introduce myself. And might I ask who you are? I don't remember seeing you anywhere near here before."

"I know I'm a human, but-"

"A human?! Are you sure you're okay? You look like a Pokémon to me, even though I don't know which one you are." Amane exclaimed worriedly.

The Pokémon's eyes widened. He then rushed over to the water, and looked at his reflection in shock. "I'm...a Riolu?" Amane had run over to him in case he fell again, but was shocked when she heard what he said.

'He's a RIOLU?! How in the world did he end up here?' Amane thought. "You're not making much sense right now...Is this some sort of joke?" Amane asked skeptically.

"...Yes." Morce said with a deadpan face. "I would totally lie about something like this." Totally not sarcastic. Not one bit.

Amane was somewhat amused. "A-huh," she said, also with a complete deadpan. "...So what's your name?"

The Riolu thought for a minute. "My name? My name is..." he gains a look of confusion for a couple of seconds. "Morce...Morce Ryudo." he supplied.

Amane sighed and nodded. "Okay...Well, at least you don't seem to be a bad Pokémon, at least. Sorry for mistrusting you, but more and more bad Pokémon have appeared lately and other Pokémon have been more aggressive too. This place isn't as safe as it used to be."

At this point, two Pokémon came rushing behind Amane and one slammed into her, causing her to drop her rock-treasure...thing and let out a yelp.

"Oh, I beg you're pardon." the Koffing replied smugly. Amane got ticked and stood up.

"And what was _that_ for?" she asked vehemently.

"Can't you figure it out? We wanted to mess with you. Can't face up to us, can you, wimp?" the Zubat taunted.

"..." Amane stared at them fiercely, but her demeanor changed from angry to one with less confidence.

"That thing belongs to you, doesn't it?" Zubat asked menacingly, referring to her treasure.

"That's-!" Amane started, but is interrupted as Zubat snatched it.

"Sorry, but we'll take that." Zubat replied.

"But-" Amane started, yet again.

"Not gonna make a move to get it back, are you wimp? Too scared?" Koffing mocked. At this point Amane had backed down, her will to fight lost.

"Okay, I've seen enough. Either you hand that back, or I'll make you!" Morce threatened. Zubat and Koffing started laughing.

"What's that wimpy coward worth to you? As a matter of fact, you're a wimp as well, and we don't have time for that. See you later wimps!" Both Koffing and Zubat rushed off into a nearby cave, leaving behind one ticked off Riolu and one depressed Vulpix.

"Bunch of no good, low-life, jerk-faced..." Morce continued ranting under his breath with steam coming out of his ears. He eventually sighed and turned to Amane, who had the beginnings of tears in her eyes. Morce came over to her and sat down while putting a paw around her.

"Hey, don't let what they said get to you. You're not any of those things. If anything, they're the wimps and cowards. Picking on those who won't or can't fight back shows true weakness. One doesn't have to able to fight to be strong." Morce said encouragingly, causing Amane to perk up and smile at him.

"Thanks, I needed that. Still, that was my personal treasure and one of my few possessions. I just have to get it back..." Morce smiled at her.

"In that case, how about I help you?" Morce asked her. "It will at least even up the odds as two on one is a bit unfair." Amane jumped up and down in happiness, causing Morce to chuckle. "Alright then, but we need to hurry. Run as fast as you can, and I'll keep up with you."

Amane looked at him hesitantly, but complies with the order and they both take off into the cave, known simply and unimaginatively as Beach Cave.

Morce found out pretty quickly that a Vulpix can run rather fast, even without proper training, though she was nowhere near his top speed.

As they both ran through the cave, some Pokémon were startled out of their sleep or current activities, and one particular group consisting of a Kabuto, Shellder, Corsola, and Shellos even challenged them to a fight. It was not a very exciting fight, in terms of any Pokémon with a level of double digits, but it was one, none the less.

Amane started off with a Tail Whip, taunting the Kabuto and Shellos, causing them to lower their guard in their anger, before they attacked. Amane took advantage of their state and shot multiple Embers at both Pokémon. They both flinched from their unexpected burns, giving her the time to slam Kabuto with a Quick Attack, but got a large scratch to her side followed by a water gun, courtesy of Shellos for her effort.

Amane yelped and jumped back, severely weakened. However, she was quite determined to not go down so easily. That determination caused a spark, both figuratively and literally. Amane built up as much energy as she could and then released it in a Flamethrower. The two Pokémon cried out in pain, but Amane kept the attack up until they were both KO'd. She then fell down herself, panting from exhaustion.

'I-I did it,' she thought with a smile.

Meanwhile, Morce had started off with a combination of Foresight and Detect, allowing him to predict their movements, which proved wise when the Corsola and Shellder both charged with a tackle attack. Morce managed to dodge both and in a moment of inspiration, despite his amnesia, formed a glowing blue sphere within his paws and shot it at the Shellder. The blow catapulted Shellder into the wall of the cave, knocking it out cold.

Before the Corsola could retaliate, Morce shot towards the Corsola at a surprising speed, unknowingly having used Quick Attack, and punched the poor Pokémon. Hard. Instant KO.

After making sure the threat was neutralized, Morce ran to Amane.

"Wow, you look terrible," Morce said, with mirth dancing in his eyes. Amane simply growled at him, but her eyes had the same look.

"Oh, bite me. I just let my guard down; I had everything under control," she huffed.

Morce only laughed. "Suuurrre you did," he replied back. "Seriously, though, you performed quite well for someone with little experience." Amane blushed at the praise, thought it was hard to see because of her fur. "Anyways, we should probably get moving. Here, eat this." He quickly fed her an Oran berry he had picked up not long ago. With her strength back, they continued on through the dark tunnel.

Not much later, they both came to the supposed 'end' of the cave. They could both see Zubat and Koffing floating by the water, not doing anything. This instantly put them on guard. Morce slowly approached with Detect and Foresight still active. Once he was sure that they had come in unnoticed, Morce signaled for Amane to join him.

Once they were about eight feet away, Amane spoke up. "Hey!"

This got their attention. "Well, well. If it isn't our old friend, the big chicken."

Amane simply Growled at them menacingly. "You might want to consider giving me back my little treasure before I burn you both to ash." (AN: Pun not intended.)

Morce was surprised at her aggressiveness, but held his tongue. Both the Koffing and Zubat disregarded the threat with amusement. "So this piece of junk really _is _valuable, huh?" Zubat remarked.

"Wo-ho-ho! We might get a good price if we sell it. Thanks for even more incentive to not give it back!" the Koffing returned. Amane glowered at them.

"Really, if you want it that badly, come over here and get it back," Zubat scoffed.

At that, Amane shot into the Zubat with a Quick Attack before he could react. At this point, Koffing had fired a ball of sludge towards Morce, who was smart enough to dodge it. Koffing then shot many small glowing purple darts towards Morce. He got hit with all of them and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

'Substitution! But a wimp like him shouldn't know such a technique!' the Koffing exclaimed mentally. Just as he started the search for Morce, a glowing blue ball of aura slammed into the gas ball's body and detonated, knocking him for a loop. The following palm strike only ensured a victory for the emanation Pokémon. The Koffing crashed into the ground with a groan.

Meanwhile, Amane was firing a machine gun of Embers at Zubat, though only five out of thirty made contact. Still, it was enough to temporarily stall the Zubat and kept him from dodging the viscious Flamethrower sent towards him. This left him fried and defeated, along with Koffing.

"Blast it, how'd we get wiped out by wimps like them?" Koffing groaned.

"Bah, take it!" Zubat threw the treasure towards them and Amane caught it with ease.

"Don't think you're so awesome. That victory was nothing but a fluke!" the Koffing smugly replied.

"Yeah, you just remember that!" The Zubat chortled with much less confidence. At this point, both of them dashed out of the cave, leaving two laughing Pokémon behind.

When they had calmed down, Amane turned to Morce. "Thanks for helping me get this back. Although, I am curious. What exactly was that blue sphere you used?" Amane asked out of curiosity. "I've never seen anything like it before."

Morce scratched his head. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. It was more instinct than anything, but I do know that it used Aura...I guess I'll call it Aura Sphere." Amane sweat dropped and shook her head at the lack of creativity. "Anyways, we should-" he cut off, noticing something out of the corner of his eye.

"Morce?" Amane asked out of concern. Morce didn't respond and started to walk towards the water in front of him. When he reached it, he stepped on top of it and continued to the wall in a trance. He put his paw on the wall, and it opened, revealing a secret cavern. An astonished Amane followed him, after stepping on the water, to her surprise.

Inside the cavern, there was nothing except for a pedestal with a few items laying on it. Namely, a Dazzling Green Glow Bow, a Nineta-Seal Pendant, and two Emit Rings; One Emit Ring had a Pledge Rock in the Jewel slot. What was most intriguing was the symbol and empty slots in the pedestal.

Both Morce and Amane looked at the items in awe. "This is rather strange...A pedestal in a secret cavern at the end of a cave with items that were made for us? I don't think it's a coincidence, but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. I'll take what I can get," Morce said as he grabs the items and handed two of them to Amane, who gave Morce a look.

"I don't think this is the last we'll see of this place. I feel like there's something else..." Amane trailed off, while looking towards the empty and oddly shaped indentations in the side of the pedestal.

"I know, I feel and see it too. However, now is not the right time...We should probably leave now." With that, the two left the cave, not noticing the few pairs of wide eyes watching them leave.

* * *

><p>Outside the cave, Morce and Amane sat, watching the sun set over the horizon. "You know, I had fun helping you out, and I could tell that we could work well together even though we didn't use teamwork in there," Morce commented, surprising Amane.<p>

"You mean...you don't think I'm a c-coward," she stuttered, causing Morce to frown.

"What are you talking about? You kicked some serious tail in there," Morce replied in confusion.

"I mean before we even went into the cave...I didn't stand up to them then..." she said while turning her head away form him.

Morce grabbed her head and turned it towards him, forcing her to see his face, which was full of understanding. "I can tell that they provoked a memory not laid to rest...A traumatic memory if your anger was anything to go by." Amane stiffened at his observation, but relaxed when he gave her a friendly hug. "Hey, it's nothing that should embarrass you. When someone goes through something like that, it leaves scars that don't heal easily, and certainly not without support that you never got."

"...How did you know," she mumbled as she laid her head on his chest. Morce only sighed and rubbed her back with one of his paws.

"I have the ability to read others and I have...personal experience...from what little I can remember..." he trailed off, not going any further. "But enough about me. I want you to know that even though we may have just met, I think we could be considered friends, and...what I'm trying to say is that I'll always be here for you. You can let it out now, if you want." Morce quit speaking as Amane silently cried into his chest. Morce simply soothed her by rubbing her back and whispering soft words of comfort into her ear.

Eventually, her tears stopped, and Morce spoke again. "I won't force you to tell me about it until you feel comfortable, but I do expect you to tell me eventually, understood?"

Amane nodded, and wiped away her tears, before giving him a mock salute. "Yes sir!" Morce chuckled a little and Amane moved her head off of his chest, causing him to pout slightly. In return she giggled before sliding towards him a little.

"You're kind of cute when you do that." Morce's eye twitched and she giggled even more. "Anyways, I was curious about how you might feel about forming an exploration team." Morce looked at her curiously, so she elaborated. "I've always liked legends and lore. I've wanted to form one for a while now. It would be so much fun finding treasure and making new discoveries!" she pulled out the treasure from earlier. "This is what has truly inspired me. I like to call it a 'Relic Fragment'. I mean, sure it might seem like junk, but it has a peculiar pattern on it that seems to radiate a strange energy...I can't quite place it, but it feels important." Morce nodded in agreement, feeling the same energy coming from the object. Amane sighed while storing her treasure away.

"Unfortunately, I've never had the courage to enter Wigglytuff's Guild, which is a famous base off operations dedicated to starting and supporting exploration teams. I've heard that the training is harsh and I had a bad feeling every time I imagined myself as an explorer all alone...like it wasn't meant to be that way. And with everything that happened today, I was wondering if you would like to be partners as I think we do have the ability to work together. After all, you said it yourself." Morce thought to himself for a minute while Amane looked hopeful.

'Well, it couldn't hurt, and with my amnesia I can't go anywhere else. The few memories I have are pieces of my time as a human, and a dimensional traveler at that. Besides, I told her I'd be there for her, and I will. Even still, I find myself to be excited about the prospect of joining this guild. It will probably help out in the long run too...' Morce considered, then shrugged.

"Sure. I mean, what have I got to loose? If anything, I have everything to gain, and a friend to join. In fact, I think the most appealing of the rather long list of reason's is getting to spend time with a gorgeous, not to mention hot, vixen."

Amane was shining with joy until his last statement. She blushed so much that you could see it through her fur. She turned away and told Morce to follow her as she started walking towards the guild. More smirked at his victory. However, it didn't take long for her brain to restart. As soon as it did, _she_ started smirking as she started to sway when she walked, swishing her tails ever so seductively. It is at this point that their earlier expressions are fully reversed, although Morce blushes more than Amane did. He quickly sped up so that they are side by side.

'Wait...why am I doing this? Am I crushing on him after knowing him for less than a day?' Amane wondered before dismissing the thought. "What? You didn't like it?" she pouted, causing him to blush an even deeper shade of red, and cementing a valuable lesson. Don't flirt with a female that will flirt back harder. (AN: There was no pun intended with that statement, but I can only imagine where all of your minds must be right now...Wait...maybe I **shouldn't **try to imagine that, as it would require some Brain Bleach.)

"W-What? N-no, it's just that...I, I mean...you...tails..." Morce continued to spit out nonsense, causing Amane to laugh, a sound Morce was beginning to associate with joyous music.

"Relax, I'm only teasing you, and I did that because I wanted to, mister oblivious." Morce simply continued to stare away from her before pointing towards a towering building on top of a hill.

"Is that it?" Morce asked and received a nod from Amane as he began to regain his composure. "Race you there?" Amane gained a competitive look in her eyes.

"Oh, it is on!" With that, both dashed towards the guild, with the sunset looming behind them.


	2. Team Aura Fox(revised)

Morce:Hey, I'm back, finally! Rukia, start the chapter!

Rukia:Morce does not own Pokémon or Bleach. He does, however, own the eventual plotline. Everything will become clear in time. Now, without further ado, start the chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: The Beginning of Team Aura Fox<strong>

Vulpix panted while glaring at Morce, who simply leaned against a totem casually. "T-That...wasn't...fair!" she exclaimed between breaths. "You-k-knew you would win!"

Morce glanced at her with a smirk. "You did very well, the fact that I was holding back by more than half of my full power notwithstanding. As such, I think you should be glad that you could keep up with me as you are now," he paused in thought. "Perhaps I could train you...Though it will take quite a long time for you to catch up to me, I can help you become stronger than you would be otherwise."

Amane blinked in surprise before she grinned. "Thank you! I promise that I won't disappoint you!" she finished with a mock salute.

Morce only chuckled before glancing towards the guild. "Regardless of future plans, I think we should focus on what we're doing right now, eh?"

Amane nodded and stepped directly over the grate. "Pokémon detected, Pokémon detected! Whose footprint, whose footprint? The footprint is Vulpix's, the footprint is Vulpix's!"

Amane stepped off the grate as Morce moved to stand over it. "Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected! Whose footprint? Whose footprint? The footprint is...uhh...its..uhh..."

"Hey, what's wrong? Sentry? **SENTRY?**" an unknown voice shouted from below.

Down below, Diglet sweatdrops. "The footprint is...uhh...maybe Riolu's?" answered the sentry.

"**What! Maybe? But your job is to-**" the voice shouted again before it was cut off.

"I know, but Riolu aren't really common in this region. The only place that I know of that may have some is Crystal Cave, and even then, they are only rumors. Riolu are said to have aura powers and are supposedly tied into a legend of sorts that involves an ancient kingdom, which should say how rare they are. Furthermore, they aren't legendaries, but they are said to be more powerful than the average Pokémon of the same evolutionary level. I've even heard they can cover the distance of two mountains in one night, running on foot!" A silence follows.

"I can verify the aura part, I can actually cover two mountains _and_ a valley in one night, and I have no idea about the rest of it. Crystal Cave sounds vaguely familiar...I'll look into that later. Anyways, are we clear to enter?" Morce replied, shocking the others out of their stupor.

"Well, they don't **seem **bad, so I suppose you guys are good. Diglet, open the gate!" the same loud voice calls.

All of a sudden, the ground rumbled as the massive gate slowly lifted. The two sped inside and down the ladder before the gate had reached the top.

When they had climbed down the ladder, they immediately noticed a common room of sorts with two bulletin boards on the front(or possibly back) wall. Morce glanced at each Pokémon in the area, while Amane looked around in slight wonder. Before Morce could speak, a Chatot hopped over to them.

"Ah, and who would you two be? I don't recognize either of you," the Chatot stated with slight distrust.

"Well, I'm Morce, and this is Amane," Morce replied. "We're here to start an exploration team, and before you say it, yes we are a bit young, but age isn't the most important factor at play."

The Chatot studied Morce for a minute and quickly glanced at Amane. "I suppose you are correct, but don't say I didn't warn you because I'm doing so now. It is a dangerous business and is not for the faint of heart. Hearing this, do you both still want to continue?" Chatot asked them.

Seeing the two nod, he sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll take you to see the Guild Master. He'll register you as an official team," Chatot explained. "Follow me, please."

With that said and done, the trio head down the latter and head right until they reach a door with a few strange markings on it. "Now, in no way are you to disrespect the Guild Master. Not. One. Way!" Chatot exclaimed. "Am I clear?" After receiving two nods, Chatot knocked on the door.

"Guildmaster! It's me, Chatot! I'm here with potential recruits, sir!" Chatot exclaimed.

After a few seconds, a reply came. "Bring them in."

* * *

><p>The group of four sat in silence as Wigglytuff observed them.<p>

"So...you two want to form an exploration team?" Wigglytuff asked with no emotion.

"Yes sir!" Morce responded with a salute.

Wigglytuff stared for a couple of minutes before he chuckled. "Well then, let's get you signed up. You'll need a team name, though."

Morce and Amane only glanced at each other for a second. "Aura fox," they replied in synch. Wigglytuff pulls out some paperwork out of nowhere and quickly skims over it while murmuring. He then held out a paper towards them.

"Sign here please."

Morce and Amane both shrugged. Morce channeled a bit of aura to his paw and stamped it on the line...which somehow spelled out 'Morce L. Ryudo'. Amane simply coated her paws in energy before doing the same and swiping one of her tails over it to reveal 'Amane F. Kitsune'. Morce's eyebrow twitched as he read it , which caused Amane to giggle softly.

Wigglytuff nodded and took the paper back. "Yoom...Tah!" he shouted, startling Amane and Morce. "Congratulations! You're now an official exploration team." Cue high five. "Here are some basic items you'll need..." Wigglytuff dragged a box from out of thin air.

Morce and Amane opened it to find an Explorer Badge, Wonder Map, and Treasure Bag inside. "Now," Wigglytuff said. "I put a couple of special items into that bag, in hopes that they would be put to good use. I found them inside a rock with a strange symbol on it. The only thing I could understand was the general design, which seemed to be based off of the infinity symbol," Wigglytuff explained, which issued a groan from Morce.

Amane pulled out a Glowing Bow and Nine-Seal Afire Collar, while Morce got an Emit Ring imbued with Brave Dust and a Ravage Ring with a Pledge Rock in the jewel slot. Morce whistled in amazement, after all the items were absorbed into them, the same way that the ones in the cave did. (AN:I forgot to mention that in the previous chapter. Whoops XP)

"I figured it was gonna be something special, but three to five star items...Fate truly cannot decide whether I'm the luckiest shmoe ever, or the universe's whipping boy..."

Amane, Wigglytuff, and Chatot, who had remained silent, sweatdropped while wondering, 'How does he know the rarity of the items?'

"Regardless, thank you very much," Morce replied with a bow, never breaking eye contact with the Guildmaster.

"It's no trouble at all. Now, Chatot, if you could please guide them to their rooms. They have a big day tomorrow, after all."

"Of course, Guildmaster," Chatot smoothly and respectfully replied.

* * *

><p>When they reached the room, they noticed three empty beds along with two newer ones. "Ah, yes," Chatot replied. "We are a bit short of space at the moment, so you will have to do with room-mates. However, I think that you'll get along just fine. Their team name is Red Emerald, and they were the last rookies to join before you. They'll be back later tonight, so you may or may not see them," Chatot finished before hopping away.<p>

Morce and Amane glance at each other. "Well, this promises to be an interesting adventure," Morce said. Amane smirked and sat by Morce as they watched the sun set outside the window.

* * *

><p>The next day found the pair on a mission to find an item at the end of a dungeon. Well, after a rude and loud wake-up call from Loudred, followed by a tour of the town and its establishments as well as their first job. On a different note, Red Emerald did return the previous night, and a mutually beneficial discussion was had between the leaders of the two teams while the rest slept. It was during this discussion that Morce learned a few important things.<p>

First, they needed to do as many missions/jobs as possible to increase their team rank as quickly as possible. More rank meant more storage space in the local item-storage facility, and also helped to increase the reputation of the team and the guild. That and he assumed that his luck would be worse than Red Emerald's regarding missions/jobs, though not necessarily in the same sense.

Second, Red Emerald were indeed the previous rookies...by two and a half years. Red Emerald was already a diamond ranked team, bordering on super. They would actually be higher on the ladder, and more famous, if they could stop unintentionally ending up with long term missions.

Third, and most importantly, his power was literally at fraction of its normal level. He only had access to 17% (and around 25% at full burn) and while not hindering him in the overall sense due to his originally high power level, it was still annoying. He planned to fix that by releasing the, apparently totaled, restriction seal after the day was over. He would need to re-seal it properly. That would require a seal master of unparalleled skill, which meant...Crypt. Again. He was not looking forward to it.

Amane was also due for a check up, by how easily she outmatched the Pokémon of Drenched Bluff, yet her low power level would say otherwise. Speaking of which...

"Are we there yet?" a slightly winded, though still battle ready Amane asked.

"Actually, yes, it appears to be about five hundred feet in front of us," Morce said with one eye closed and the other glowing slightly.

"Is it safe?" Amane asked as she looked around for any possible traps. "I don't want to fall into another pit, or pull a repeat of that other fiasco on the second floor."

Morce opened his closed eye and grunted. "Those were both accidents caused by you not having my paranoia and me not thinking to use my aura sight. Still went smoother than what I was expecting."

With that said, Morce stepped forward to pick up the item...and was challenged by a team of four Pokémon (Shellos, Anorith, Lileep, and Chingling), and a fight much like the one in Beach cave broke out. With one exception. Morce made a bone out of aura...and then charged it with Amane's Flamethrower. The end result: lots of burns and a quadra-KO.

"Huh, almost a Penta-kill," Morce absentmindedly commented. Amane stared as he grabbed the item off of the ground and started to walk back the way they came.

"You commin' or what?" he asked while turning his head backwards. Amane snapped out of her astonishment.

"Uh, yeah...Are we done here?"

"Eeyup."

"Then couldn't we just use the badge...you know, to teleport out."

"...Eeyup."

"And you were about to take the long way by going back through the _entire _dungeon?"

"...Eeyup..."

"...Are you going to actually answer in more than one word?"

"...Eenope."

"..."

"..."

"...Can we leave now? Don't answer that, just do it."

Both explorers were teleported away in a beam of light.

* * *

><p><em>That night...<em>

Morce and Amane were alone in their room, as requested by Morce, who was explaining the situation to Amane.

"...So that's why I asked for them to leave us be for a while." Morce finished. "I'm going to try to fix my own power flux before I even attempt to see if you have any issues. As such, this may get a little crazy and I would advise staying back."

As he stopped speaking, he was incased in a black and white glow as a horribly disfigured symbol appeared over Morce's entire body. After quietly releasing the seal, he exploded with energy that pushed Amane back a few feet and onto her back. Morce appeared to be in a trance before the energy settled and he stopped floating and glowing.

"Ow. That hurt a bit," he sat down to steady himself as Amane trotted over.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "And will you be able to check my core as well?"

"Yeah," he coughed, "I should be able to, though I need permission to touch your chest."

Amane flushed slightly, but nodded her consent. Morce gently put his paw on her chest and for a moment she could feel _his_ heart beat and vice versa. Then her world exploded with red.

From Morce's view, she was floating, her tails waving menacingly while reminding him of the legend of the Kyuubi. His heartbeat increased slightly. She looked beautiful with the red shimmering cloak...and he needed to focus. Apparently her power was partially locked. He removed the first block, but there was more than one. The one that concerned him most was the one that mirrored his, and evolution block. That had to have a serious tie to their fate. The rest of the blocks, though, were merely a result of trauma. All they would need to break is the individual realization that she even had such power. All he could do now was wait.

When her vision cleared, Amane was back on the ground and Morce was smiling. She heard him say something about rest before she blacked out.

A voice from outside chuckled as a Bulbasaur walked in to the room. "Looks like you're beat. You should worry about resting yourself, rookie."

"Oh, back off, Q," Morce chuckled. "You aren't exactly the definition of 'alive' at the moment, either."

The Bulbasaur, nicknamed Q by the guild as a whole, laughed heartily. "I suppose not. Still," he said in a now serious tone, "you should seriously get some sleep. Even Cynders could feel the amount of strain on your power, and he _sucks_ at sensing anything other than an explosion...or Loudred," he snickered.

Morce grinned slightly as well before yawning. "Yeah, I can see your point. Go get the others and bring 'em in, but keep it down. I'll be out like a light in about ten seconds." Morce said as he laid down on his bed, near Amane.

Q smiled as he quietly left the room. "Those two are gonna' go places. I can feel their importance, and so can the other two...Ah well, we didn't come here for the glory anyways. Still though, that intel I received disturbs me greatly...I'll tell them when and _if_ they're ready," he finished as he left the guild, with no one the wiser.


	3. A New Mystery(revised)

*A door opens and I walk in. A sign above the outside of the door, a sign reads **Headquarters: Morce's House***

Me:Yo, anyone home? *No answer* Huh...I guess I'm the only one here...Well, onto the news then. I've somehow gotten back into business and updates_ should _be every few days, maybe a week...maybe more...they'll (hopefully) be existent at all. In other news, I may split my focus between this story and my other Pokemon story, since I have a LOT of ground to cover. I'll probably end up pulling an Ashes of the Past. If you don't know what that is, I recommend reading it. It was written by Saphroneth, and is basically a time travel story with an interesting take on things. He's also the one in charge of the MLP Loops in the Infinite Loops Project. If you're interested, I recommend you check him out.

Anyways, this story...I'm trying to re-design it to fit my current ability in writing, as it was written back when my writing was...less than acceptable. At the same time, I'm aiming for the cannon storyline...***SPOILER ALERT***at least, until the post (not _post_ post) game segment involving/revolving around Darkrai. I plan to actually turn that portion of the game into a more drawn out plot line. I'm considering making him an opposing force that starts a war...a Pokémon war, mind you. It won't involve killing left and right and total bloodshed. There may be a death or four, but nothing _super_ extreme or Real Life-ish, other than that. ***Spoiler End***That...is all I have for now.*Pulls a rope hanging from nowhere*

Disclaimer: The Author does not own Pokémon, MLP, The Infinite Loops, or me. He does own his OC's, except for maybe Team Red Emerald...their names were only somewhat original.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: A New Mystery<strong>

Loudred walked in to wake up Team Aura Fox (Red Emerald had already left), only to find a note next to Morce.

"If I'm not up yet, it means I haven't completely recovered my lost strength. Just give me and Amane thirty more minutes tops, and I should (hopefully) be back to 100% and Amane should also feel an increase in power. Also, when you do wake us up, just use water. My enhanced hearing can't take another wake up shout. Note to self: Find those blasted ear plugs. Signed, Morce."

Loudred sweatdroped and took the note to show the rest of the guild.

_30 minutes later_

Loudred walked in yet again, only to see the two waking up, and headed back. 'Okay, now to focus the power.' A black and white glowing cloak appeared around Morce and a red one around Amane. Both exited their room, though Amane was unaware that she was glowing. Morce just didn't care.

'Wow, I feel great...Why do I feel like a raging fire?' Amane questioned. 'Did I really have this much power all along?'

'I wonder what kind of coffee you could make from berries?' Morce's thoughts were...slightly less focused.

As they arrived, everyone stared at the cloaks as they receded. "What?" Morce asked. Somewhere a cricket(tune) chirped. The room remained silent.

"...Yoom-Tah!" Wigglytuff shouted.

"Squawk!...Err...I mean, Everyone, start the morning cheer!" After chanting, everyone wandered off.

"What are we going to do today?" Amane wondered.

"Ah! Today, you shall catch an outlaw!" Morce and Amane grinned.

"Sweet! Just make sure that the criminal isn't above our level. We aren't exactly ready for an S rank yet."

Chatot nods. "Actually, I'll have Bidoof help you. I've already told him to show you around town and give you time to prepare before helping you choose." Chatot hopped off to do...whatever it is he does.

Morce and Amane found Bidoof waiting by the bulletin boards. "Oh, hi there! I'll show you around town. We don't need you fainting because of lack of preparation, yup yup!"

After heading to the edge of town, Bidoof started to explain each shop and what could be done there. "There is the Chancey Day Care, Marowak Dojo, Duskul Bank, and Electrivire Link Shop. The bank is currently the only service open. Chancey and Electrivire aren't here and the dojo 'collapsed financially'. Over there are Xatu's Appraisal, The Kecleon Mart, and-"

"Kangaskahn's Storage," Morce cut Bidoof off. "We actually stopped by the town yesterday before we went on to Drenched Bluff.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback<em>

* * *

><p><em>Morce and Amane walked through the town, enjoying the almost tangible peace. "We should probably head out soon..." Morce said before he saw the Kangaskahn waving at him from behind her stall. Morce glanced towards Amane, who shrugged, and walked up. <em>

_"Hello! You two must be the new exploration team," Kangaskahn said. "I figured you would stop by pretty soon, so I took the liberty of setting up a storage unit for you...Though it is a bit small at the moment," she said with the hint of an apology._

_"How did you know? It hasn't even been two days yet!" Morce exclaimed._

_"News travels fast around here, dear. That, and Wigglytuff told me that a new team might be forming soon about three days ago." Morce deadpanned and Amane raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "That being said, do you have anything for me to store?" _

_"No, sorry. We were just about to head out for our first job. We'll be sure to let you know if we find anything we want to store," Morce replied. _

_"Unfortunately, we should really get going, so we'll have to cut this discussion short. I don't want Chatot on our tails because were 'slacking' on our first day," Amane cut in._

_"Bye dears!" Kangaskahn called out as the pair jogged away._

* * *

><p><em>Flashback End<em>

* * *

><p>Bidoof stared at the two. "Well, I suppose that's it. Uh...you should probably check out the shop for anything you might need. Find me at the guild when you finish preparing," Bidoof finished.<p>

Not long after Bidoof left, two cries of "Misters Kecleon!" rang out.

"! Ah, hello Azurill, Marill. Now what can we do for you?" the green Kecleon asked.

They asked for a few apples, which were graciously given and paid for. "Wait, there's an extra apple! We didn't pay for this many!" exclaimed Marill.

"That is a gift from us to you! Tell your mother we hope she gets better soon!" the purple Kecleon answered.

"We will! Bye!" As they walk away Azuril tripped with an "OOf!". Morce went to pick up the apple Azurill dropped and gave it back. Azurill happily bounced away, causing Morce to smile before he started to sway.

'Why do I feel so trippy?...Is this a-

* * *

><p><em>Flash of Light<em>

* * *

><p><em>"You better hurry up and get that treasure...or ELSE!" <em>

_"WHAAA! HELP!"_

* * *

><p><em>Another Flash of Light<em>

* * *

><p>"!" Morce shouted in surprise. Everyone turned to look at him, confused. "I had a vision of sorts...I don't know how or why, but I heard someone that sounded suspiciously like Azurill. It was a cry for help." The others looked skeptical.<p>

"Are you sure you weren't imagining it?" the purple Kecleon asked.

"Positive. I know what I saw...er, heard. Either way, the most unlikely explanation is that I can see the past and/or future. The most realistic explanation is that I'm hallucinating from lack of...something. The most likely explanation that is still within the realm of the multiverse, as well as rationality, was lost somewhere between Crypt and a few insane chaos deities." Amane stared blankly. Both Kecleons were completely lost. "Anyways, unless I can actually see where my vision occurred, we have no way of doing anything about it. We should probably just head back to the guild."

About halfway there, they ran into the two brothers again. They were with a Drowzee this time. The duo were able to catch the end of the conversation. "...I'd have to be heartless to not help you boys look for your lost item," Drowzee replied.

He started to leave with the brothers, but accidentally bumped into Morce. "Whoops! Pardon me!" he excused himself as he walked away.

Amane smiled. "What a kind Pokémon, offering to help them find whatever it is they lost...we need to ask if we can help later," Amane suggested just as Morce started to feel dizzy.

'Not again.'

* * *

><p><em>Flash of Light<em>

* * *

><p><em>"Relax! I'll let you go to your brother after you do what I've asked! Now...you better hurry up and get the treasure...or ELSE!" Drowzee threatened with an evil smile. <em>

_"WHAAA! HELP!" Azuril screamed._

* * *

><p><em>Another Flash of Light<em>

* * *

><p>"Well...That can't be good. I was right, Azurill was being threatened, and by Drowzee of all Pokémon. That was no hallucination, it was an actual vision." Amane looked troubled.<p>

"But...he _seemed_ so nice. Well, I guess we could always check the Outlaw Board just in case. If he's on there, we can go after him ASAP." Morce nodded as they sprinted to the guild.

When they arrived, Morce lead the way to the board, and by default, Bidoof.

Bidoof saw them and started looking over the board. "Is there a Drowzee on the board?" Morce asked.

"Nope," Bidoof answered. "Though I think I should be able to find someone that you can handle. Let's see...Not him...She's...no...he seems...maybe-" An alarm cut him off.

"**Updating, stand clear! Updating, stand clear!**" The board then flipped over and Bidoof explained how the update system worked. When the board flipped back over...

"Well, this is bad."

"What are you...Oh. Top left?"

"Top left."

"...Shouldn't we be running now?"

"Probably."

With that, the duo charged out of the guild. Bidoof was left behind, staring with wide eyes at the two clouds of dust. They got wider when he looked in the top left corner. The poster portrayed Drowzee with his bounty of 3,000 Poke. More important and worrying was the rank at the end of the description; High B to possibly Low A.

As they ran down the steps, they spotted Marill near a sign post. "Where's Azurill?" Morce asked.

"I-I don't know! Mr. Drowzee and Azurill wandered off while I wasn't looking! I called, b-but..."Marill trailed off.

"Don't worry Marill, we'll save Azurill," Morce reassured him, "Though I do need you to tell me where you were before they disappeared."

"They were...by...a-a mountain," Marill sniffed. "Follow m-me, quickly!"

Morce gave Amane a glance before the duo dashed after Marill. Morce quickly caught up to Marill and proceeded to carry him while using him as a guide. After about five minutes of sprinting, they had finally reached the entrance.

"This is definitely the place," Marill stated as he hopped off of Morce's shoulder. Morce then took out the map.

"Ah. This would appear to be Mt. Bristle." Morce put the map away and turned to Marill. "You should probably wait here. We'll be back with your brother in no time," Morce smirked before he took off into the mountain, Amane trailing behind.

In accordance with their performance so far, they ran into a diversified team as they have the past two times. This time, it was a group of seven consisting of a Machop, Geodude, Spinarak, Doduo, Starly, Nidorino, and Nidorina.

Morce drew the attention of the Machop by smashing the Geodude with an aura bone, effectively knocking it out. The Machop attempted to punch him, but missed as Morce Feinted. Morce then used Quick Attack and lashed out with a kick. The Machop flew back and was hit by three Embers from Amane, knocking it out. Morce then engaged Nidorino and Nidorina simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Amane had been kicking flank. She started with a short burst of Flamethrower at Spinarak, who was immediately KO'ed. Starly and Doduo attacked in tandem, causing her to dodge to the best of her ability. She got hit a couple of times, but shook them off as mere scratches. Amane swiped at Starly with her paws, doing a bit of damage. She then whipped her tails, knocking the small bird into a rock. Before she could finish it off, Doduo pressed on furiously with peck.

Morce had just defeated both of his last opponents and was sweating slightly. He noticed the Starly coming back from behind Amane, and he quickly dashed to intercept him. Luckily Amane was paying attention and jumped back as Morce charged forward. This led to Doduo overextending his beak and gave Morce an opening he readily capitalized on.

Amane, now out of harms way, fired an ember at the Starly that had him out for the count. At the same time Morce punched the Doduo in it's stomach, sending him flying into a wall, where he collapsed.

"Whew," Morce wiped his forehead. "That was a bit of a work out. I know I released my power, but I still have to adjust to having all of it continuously circulating throughout my body. It could take anywhere from a few months to a few years to readjust."

"Wow...How strong are you exactly?" Amane asked.

"Not strong enough," Morce chuckled. "Anyways, we should get moving."

A few minutes later saw the two at the summit. They approached from behind a rock and saw Dorwzee near Azurill. Amane almost charged, but Morce held her back and signaled to move stealthily. When they were about twenty feet away, they could hear the end of a conversation.

"...If you keep being difficult, it will mean big trouble for you!" Drowzee threatened.

"H-h-h...HELP!" Azurill shouted, with his eyes closed. Morce nodded to Amane, and they both lunged. Morce used a Quick Attack to appear behind Drowzee, while Amane charged an Ember. Morce then swept Drowzee off of his feet and jumped over him as the overpowered Ember hit with a small 'Boom!'. Morce then punched Drowzee with a good portion of his strength, sending the criminal into the wall on the other side of the summit.

"Don't worry Azurill. We're here to defeat him and protect you," Morce states calmly, yet confidently.

"I'll admit, I didn't see that coming. Nevertheless, what makes you two punks think you can beat me? You're both obviously rookies, though you do appear to have at least a little skill," Drowzee grudgingly acknowledged.

"You shouldn't underestimate us..." Morce said as he activated Foresight and immediately followed with Quick Attack. "You might just lose," Morce whispered from behind Drowzee. Before Morce could land a hit, he sent out a blast of pure psychic energy that forced Morce towards a wall. Morce used his feet as a cushion and springboard to regain his balance.

At the same time, Amane had been waiting for an opening, which she got as Drowzee recharged. She fired a few Embers before she sprinted towards the psychic. Drowzee smirked slightly, which was only noticed by Morce. When Amane was in striking distance, Drowzee blasted her with Confusion, and before she could recover, fired a high powered Psybeam.

Morce had reacted as soon he had seen the smirk. Before the Psybeam could hit, he grabbed Amane while using a Quick Attack. Then he hit Drowzee in the face with an aura infused punch. Before he could recover, Morce pressed the advantage by engaging in melee combat. Drowzee was forced to frantically defend as Morce's blows increased in speed.

'He's got to have a weakness somewhere!' Drowzee thought. Unfortunately, any weaknesses were covered by the sheer speed of the attacks, the variation of added kicks, and the occasional palm thrust. 'This is ridiculous! No rookie is this good!'

Morce continued to hammer away at his defense. 'He has to give eventually. Even though I'm still getting used to this body, it's natural ability makes up for my mistakes. I should be able to win as long as I keep him-' Morce was cut off abruptly by a wave of Confusion followed by a Headbutt. As he staggered back, Drowzee charged a point blank Psybeam.

"It's over for you now!" Drowzee cried as he captured Amane, who had managed to get about seven feet away from him, in a Hypnosis.

"No!" Azurill cried as the beam of energy rushed to meet Morce head on.

Morce grunted as he was hit and slid back a few feet, the ground cracking slightly from his aura and the pressure. Drowzee then put a majority of his remaining strength into the Psybeam, blowing Morce away and dealing a high amount of damage.

Drowzee panted and fell to one knee. 'That was tough. I don't have enough energy to fight him if he gets back up from that. Maybe I can bluff it.'

"I'll admit, I thought that you might win for a second. Unfortunately for you, you're finished!" Drowzee shouted. His eyes widened when he noticed a glowing blue bone of aura flying like a boomerang from above him. He jumped back just in time to dodge the attack, causing it to dissipate as it hit the ground.

"You missed!" he exclaimed with glee.

"Not quite."

Drowzee paled as he turned around in time to see a glowing blue bone strike him in the face, lifting him off the ground. Another bone materialized and Morce proceeded to smack him around for a bit, lifting him higher with each strike. Finally, using both bones, Morce used all of his strength to smash Drowzee back to ground level.

The ground exploded in dust and smoke as Morce landed in a kneeling position, panting heavily and exhausted. When the smoke cleared, Drowzee was out cold and Amane was yawning and stretching. When she noticed Drowzee was out cold, she rushed over to Morce and helped him to stand back up.

"Oh my goodness! Are both of you okay?" Azurill exclaimed as he rushed to the two explorers. "That was intense!"

Morce smiled at him. "We're fine. Now, we should get going. You're brother's waiting."

Azurill grinned and hopped towards the exit. Before Amane could go after him, Morce grabbed her shoulder.

"I need to alert the authorities immediately. I may seem like I'm ready to go another round, but that fight pushed me to my current limits. If he escapes or manages to catch up to us before we get help..." Morce trailed off. "Escort Azurill to Marill. I'll meet you there." Without another word, Morce teleported away.

* * *

><p><em>20 minutes later...<em>

Morce had arrived with Magnazone just as Amane, with Azurill on her back, came running out of the mountain. Drowzee stumbled out seconds later and was instantly handcuffed by Magnazone along with the two Magnaton.

"ZZT! Thank you for helping to catch this outlaw! We owe you our thanks! The reward will be sent to the guild. ZZZT! Also, I look forward to working with you in the future. Good luck! ZZZT!" Magnazone flashed his magnets and led Drowzee away.

"Azurill!" Marill called as he ran up to greet them.

"Marill!" Azurill exclaimed as the two embraced. Azurill started to tear up as he recounted what had happened.

"I'm glad we could help them out," Amane said.

"Yeah. We got to fight an outlaw as well...and it shows that we both need more training. The only reason we won was because he slightly underestimated me and because of my limited, yet valuable, experience. If I had been a regular Riolu, that fight would have been extremely tough and we might have lost," Morce grimaced.

"He didn't underestimate me?"

"No. He was spot on. You're a rookie, even more so than me, but you have potential. The fight was slightly unfair since you current strength lies in your fire; his psychic abilities restricted how much damage you could do as he could simply redirect any flames you sent at him. You did recognize this, though, so you did what you could. That in itself is impressive."

Amane beamed from the complement before she frowned.

"This means we have to train a lot now that we've been 'broken in' as it were, doesn't it?"

"Yup! Look at it this way; we'll both get stronger, but only if we work for it. I, for one, do not want a repeat of this instance. Common thieves, A rank or not, shouldn't be able to push me this far. That and it never hurts to be too strong. Overkill is a term I always heed by when my opponent is strong enough to not die from whatever I decide to assault them with. I take no chances, but I'm not merciless either."

Marill and Azurill turned to the duo as Morce finished.

"Thank you so much for rescuing my brother!" Marill exclaimed.

"Yes, thank you!" Azurill chimed in.

"Anytime. If you need us, you know where to find us," Morce said as he and Amane headed back towards the guild.

* * *

><p><em>At the guild...<em>

Chatot met the two by the outlaw bulletin. "I've gotten the bounty from officer Magnazone. Well done, you two! Here's your portion of the reward."

Out of the 3,000 Poké that the bounty was worth, Team Aura Fox got only 300 Poké.

"That's it?" Amane sweatdropped. "I knew that part of the expenses went to the guild, but that seems a bit hefty..."

Chatot stayed silent for a few moments. "Yes, well, your pay might go up in the future. It all depends on your performance, especially in the face of unfortunate circumstances. That said, your pay will increase when you reach the Gold Rank. _If _you can reach the Master Rank, you will receive a raise then as well." Chatot explained before he bounced away.

Amane shrugged. "I suppose that we should be grateful that we even get a reward at all."

"Yeah, but the important thing is that we rescued Azurill."

"Mainly because of that vision you had."

"If it can even be considered a vision...but I digress. It showed me the future, which is not impossible in the multiverse, but here in a world of Pokémon..."

"Mutiverse?"

"Ignore that. Move on."

"...O-o-okay then. It's a bit unusual, yes. Foresight is still a thing, though."

"I know Foresight and it works...differently."

"Hmm...Well, it could be-" Amane cut off as her stomach grumbled and she blushed. Morce followed suit and both laughed about it.

* * *

><p><em>After Dinner...<em>

Morce and Amane sat by the window in their room as thunder crashed outside. The wind howled furiously and the rain...well, rained. A lot.

"This storm sure is a kicker. And to think that we had one not too long ago...the weather just can't sit still, can it?" Aidan, the Cyndaquil, asked.

"Seems a bit ominous if you ask me," Summer, the Chikorita, replied.

"Well, I can't disagree with either of you really. In my experience, weather like this is typically symbolic or a warning of what is to come and what will be. If we keep seeing strange weather patterns, like we did a couple of weeks ago at the Peak, I wouldn't dismiss the warning," Q advised.

"You know, it was storming like this the night before I found you on the beach, Morce," Amane said. "Do you remember how you even got there to begin with?"

"Mmm...Nope. Still an amnesiac."

"Ah well...What do you think about that vision you had?" Amane asked, getting the other team's full attention.

"Well...I want to say that it isn't entirely unique to see the future, but I have no idea how I was able to do so. Maybe it was a variation of time manipulation? I don't know. I'd need to somehow trigger more in order to understand them, and even then, I would need enough time to analyze exactly what is happening. That would mean ignoring the vision, and on the off chance that it could be as important as this one..."

Q, Summer, and Aidan all gave each other a look. Q then spoke up. "While I probably can't tell you what it is, I would like to know how this...ability of yours was activated."

"You might know what it is, then? Or you have a hunch?"

"I doubt that I'd actually know. Still, any info could prove useful for identifying it."

"Well, I think...Maybe it involves physical contact? I had one after I touched an apple and bumped into someone, but I 'm not sure what the trigger was, exactly..."

"Hmm...Well, let me know if it happens again. If you find anything else new about it, please let me know."

"I will."

"It's getting late," Amane chimed in, cutting the two off. "We should probably go to bed soon. In regards to your ability...Maybe time itself is responsible? It is destabilizing in various areas around the world, and everyone suspects that the Time Gears are involved."

"Time Gears?" Morce wondered.

"Time Gears are known or rumored to exist in at least three places: in the forest, in an underground cavern, and even inside a volcano. The total number is unknown, but I suspect there to be at least five or six," Q added. "Each one protects time and keeps it flowing properly in that region. If a region looses its time gear..." lighting flashed in the background, "Then time will cease to flow there."

"That's why no one disturbs the Time Gears. Doing so has long been considered an omen of doom. As such, no one even ventures near them, content to leave them untouched," Amane explained. "Even the most hardened criminals stay as far away from them as possible."

* * *

><p><em>Meanwhile...<em>

A shadowy figure crept in the darkness of the forest, undisturbed. It looked around to ensure that no one had followed it, and dashed towards the clearing up ahead.

"Can it be?" the figure wondered as it moved towards the center. "Ah. I've finally found one...but it isn't enough. It is only the first of many..."

A flash of lighting illuminated the figure once more before it bolted off into the darkness.


	4. Morce's Backstory and Sentry Duty

**Headquarters: Morce's House**

Me: Hello? Still nobody? Aw, man! I guess I'm gonna have to be consistent with my updates...Well, here's another chapter. If you're actually reading this, please let me know what you thin of it in a review. I'll accept anything, even negativity. However, while I will listen to what you have to say, I won't just be throwing your ideas in left and right. If someone gives me an idea I like that I think will help the story go in the direction I want it to, I might tweak it a bit and include it. Otherwise, this is my ship, and if it sinks, I'm going down with it.

That said, let's get this party started already!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Backstory and Sentry Duty<strong>

The morning came quickly for Team Aura Fox. Loudred didn't have to wake them up today; Morce had taken Amane out for some early morning training. It mainly consisted of a physical workout, with a focus on dodging, and basic elemental control. After the morning cheer, Chatot hopped over.

"Ah, you two. Today, your introduction to guild work is finished. As such, you may choose any jobs from either bulletin, though I should warn you that even though a job might be low in rank, it can always go up. The Guildmaster calls it 'Murphy's Law', though I fail to understand why he calls it that or what it actually means," Chatot said, causing Morce to groan. "Nonetheless, you are free to do as you wish, as long as you don't slack off," Chatot finished.

"I guess now would be a good time to try to up our rank."

"What did he mean by Murphy's Law?"

"What can go wrong, _will_ go wrong. I've experienced it before, but only to a small degree."

"How does our luck look, then?"

"...Horrendous."

"Well then...What should we do?"

"Take lower ranked jobs up to mid C-rank and pray to Arceus that everything stays simple. Any higher than mid C and we risk a jump to S-rank, at least with my luck. That said, it could still go up, but I doubt it would be that extreme. Either way, it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

"Should we compound jobs?"

"Oh, definitely. I don't care if we get a higher pay grade, I just want to be as good as we possibly can. Gold Rank, if I read the qualifications on the info bulletin correctly, is the last rank a team can receive strictly through their record of jobs taken and completed."

"Let's go, then."

With that, the duo proceeded to find a couple of lost item requests and one bounty for Drenched Bluff. Each one was D ranked, and luckily, each went smoothly. At then end of the day, Team Aura Fox returned slightly exhausted, but mostly hungry. After dinner, Morce took Amane to the beach for another training session. This time, it focused more on elemental control.

"This morning, I taught you how to properly summon your fire in its base form. Show me that you have mastered this exercise by summoning your most powerful flames."

Amane squinted her eyes shut in concentration. After about a few seconds, a flame appeared on each of her tails. She then added more power, turning them blue.

"Perfect. You should be able to use Will-O-Wisp without a problem, and your regular fire attacks should have improved slightly. Give you Flamethrower a try."

Amane took a breath, compressed her energy, and then released it. A large flamethrower exploded from her mouth, leaving tiny glass shards in its wake.

"Excellent. Now, the next step is to compress the flamethrower until it has the same amount of power, yet a much smaller width. Eventually, you may even be able to form a plasma beam, given enough power and control."

"Seriously?" Amane asked, slack-jawed.

"Yeah. It will take time and practice, but it is possible. But that is something to focus on later. While control and power are important, I've found that relying on any one element, or elemental abilities in general, is foolhardy. I use physical combat to stimulate my elemental abilities, which in this case, being a Fighting Type, just gives me even more power to work with."

"Is that how you were able to deal with the groups we've run into so easily? Because they all do the exact opposite?"

"Yes. They rely on their elements rather than physical combat. That said, I do have formal martial arts training, my family's style, and a small bit of experience in _real _combat; a fight that determines life and death, rather than simply victory or defeat. It gives me an unfair advantage, but one that I'm grateful to have. It is an advantage that I would like to give to you if you would permit me to do so."

"What do you mean by that...specifically?"

"I want to teach you martial arts; my mentor taught me how to properly use my own style, true, but he also taught me the importance of variety. I know multiple styles, each one able to blend together to create a unique variant of my original style."

"You have a mentor?"

"Had...I _had_ a mentor. He...passed on a while back. Long before the blank spot in my memory ending with me unconscious on a beach and suddenly a Pokemon, though."

"I'm sorry...I didn't meant to-"

"It's fine, it would have been brought up eventually...which brings me to a discussion I was hoping to save for later," Morce sighed. "I'm going to be truthful with you, Amane. I'm not from this world. I know I said I was a human," Morce said, causing her mouth to snap shut, "and I wasn't lying, but I was a human long before I came to this world...and I was one when I first entered it. That's all I know about my current circumstances."

Morce took a deep breath and sighed once more before continuing. "I was born in a human world, somewhere in the multiverse. My father was a martial artist who made studying theoretical physics into a hobby, and my mother was an extremely intelligent physicist and computer programmer. Yes, a bit unusual, but they were loving parents. Even though they were extremely busy, they still found time to care for me. I was a very lucky kid; I was extremely smart and started learning advanced material early on. My mother taught me academics and my father taught me martial arts," Morce started. "And even then, I still had time for a semi-regular childhood. Somehow."

Amane listened and nodded, even though she had no idea what a 'physicist' or 'computer programmer' was. She could tell that this was important to him.

"I was the equivalent of a college student by the time I was eight years old...A rough translation to this world is that I was as smart as someone more than twice my age. I had a knack for computers, so I managed to learn coding/programming, graphic design, and even animation. Sadly, I didn't have enough time to properly make use of such talents, but that bit comes later. I also gained an interest in music when I was about four or five. I learned everything I could about how to play a guitar, and a decent amount on how to play the drums. I picked up everything my parents taught me...and I eventually became my mother's assistant when I was ten," Morce explained.

"We had been working on a project to test one of her hypotheses. She believed that the multiverse theory was a reality and set out to prove it. Together, we actually succeeded and got a glimpse of another world somewhere, as well as cracked the basic formula for time travel. Unfortunately, this attracted a lot of attention even though the project as a whole, along with my involvement, was classified. My father thought there was a leak of information; that a spy from another country had infiltrated the laboratory. My mother considered that there may have been an enemy from our own country that opposed her work. Unfortunately, they were partially correct."

"The Japanese Mafia of our world apparently had cameras and listening devices everywhere; they could literally hear and see everything. (AN: I was not intending to be offensive with this. It's just how his world was. It would be a bit humorous if they were as incompetent as the Team Rocket Trio was back when the anime started or if they were as ridiculous as the Saints. Sadly, they aren't either.) The boss didn't like either of my parents and had a deep grudge against my father due to an incident during my dad's childhood. He struck out in order to get back at him...and ended up murdering both of my parents in front of me," Morce grimaced.

Amane had covered her mouth with a paw and cried silently.

"I was desperate at the time; I apparently drew on a source of energy not seen in my world since ancient times, during the Oblivion Era. I managed to cause an explosion of light that allowed me to escape. I knew that I couldn't outrun an entire mafia, so I headed towards a small, barely working portal that I had secretly built using the experimental technology that my mother had been working on with me. My parents did have wills, but each kept their own personal letter to me that they told me about in case they passed away unexpectedly. They kept one copy in a secret compartment in their bedroom, the originals with their will, and another copy in my mother's lab office."

Amane made no effort to stop the tears.

"I grabbed the copy from my mother's lab and dashed towards where I had hidden the portal. It was a small device, only about as tall and wide as I was, though it was just enough. I pushed the on button and glanced back to see an enraged boss pointing his gun at me. He said something that I couldn't make out and pulled the trigger. I thought I was going to die. My life flashed before my eyes, yet my resolve hardened. This must have triggered the same energy from before, as the portal immediately opened twice as large as the device sustaining it. Before I knew it, I was in an unfamiliar place, clutching my arm as I slowly bled out. It was then that I met _him_."

Amane sniffled and moved by Morce's side. "Who?"

"My mentor...Hikari Takeshi. He was given the title of "Dark Sun" due to his use unique use of Light, and was amazing during combat. Anyways, he took me in as a child and healed me. He taught me how to truly fight, how to lead, and how to control my emotions. He trained me to be the leader of an organization that he had plans for, but had yet to start it. I was its second member, and the second in command next to my mentor. Now, I'm its only member and leader," Morce stopped as Amane hugged him. He leaned into her as he moved on with his tale.

"I lost him when he went on an assignment one day. His organization had finally gotten clearance from the higher powers to actually be 'official' official. He was about to start phase two of his plan, which was to create a force of people able to travel throughout the multiverse, helping keep the peace on a dimensional scale. It would have been the most important 'official' group of dimensional travelers to ever exist...and then he fell in battle. He too had a will. I was there to hear it that time. He had taken possession of the letters he had found along with me, and wanted me to 'have them when I was ready' along with one of his own." Amane squeezed his paw for comfort. Morce smiled slightly before he continued to speak.

"When I read my parents' letters, I discovered everything about my heritage. I found out who I truly was; a direct descendant of the dragons on my father's side and a distant descendant of both foxes and wolves on my mother's. Apparently, I was a hybrid of DNA. Fully human, fully dragon, and a small bit wolf and fox. It explained my enhanced senses, intelligence and instinct. It also mentioned something that I had left behind in my home that I may or may not go back for some day. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to face the memories waiting for me back there..."Morce trailed off.

"Hey...If you go back, you won't have to go back alone. I'll go with you, if you want..."Amane offered.

"I appreciate the offer, but I still don't know...but I digress. My mentor's letter...it coincided with his will. I was named the new leader of his organization and the inheritor of both his style and techniques, as he had no heirs of his own. He left me with a heartfelt message, the secret to dimensional pockets, a guide on how to do paperwork, one of his weapons that _wasn't_ lost to the void upon his death, and the job that he started. That job was making his organization a reality. In order to do that, I have to travel to many worlds and recruit as many beings as are willing to join me."

"What exactly does one have to do to join you?"

"They must pledge undying allegiance to the organization itself, not to me, be willing to traverse the multiverse to both help people in general and recruit new members, and accept the pain, responsibilities, and trials that they will be faced with."

"Then...I want to join you!"

"This isn't something to take lightly, you know."

"I know! I mean...I guess a little more info couldn't hurt..."

"If you join, I will teach you everything I know and anything I learn that I believe will help you. You will become stronger than you can imagine, help countless individuals, yet also suffer more than you would otherwise have to go through. One major thing that I must point out is that this commitment is literally permanent. The true ceremony of acceptance (not my own personal 'induction ceremony') requires a divine ritual that will bestow the accepted member with half-immortality. This means that while you can still die through other physical means, you will no longer age. You will live until you die in battle, accidentally reach the void without the ability to control or escape it, or time ends for the entire multiverse...which can only happen if time itself is destroyed," Morce ended with a serious face.

Amane's eyes had gotten wider during the course of the explanation. "I...I am willing to commit to that...Though I do have one little question."

"Ask it, then."

"What's the multiverse?"

Morce sweatdropped. "You don't know? Oh. Right. Well, it's basically...think of it this way. Let's say that this is world number one. Now, there is another world like this one, but the Pokemon there are trained by humans and there are no dungeons. That would be world number two. Each one is a separate universe, but both are in the same dimension. Now imagine that there are multiple dimensions throughout the...space of existence, with each one different and unique."

Amane had stars in her eyes. "Wow! That's neat!"

"It truly is. A good example would be a certain dimension where humans bend the four main elements to their will in stunning displays of martial arts. One person can wield all four and is reincarnated every time he or she dies. This person is known as the Avatar."

Amane stared at Morce. "You know of this specific place...how?"

"I went there once with my mas-er, mentor during my basic elemental training. I picked up a few things about the world while I was there."

"So how many are there?"

"No one knows, except for the deities that monitor the multiverse. They are the most important beings you will ever meet...unless you somehow meet Him, The Creator of All. He resides in _the _core world that has no link to the rest of the multiverse. All we are to those there are dreams and figments of the imagination," Morce sadly proclaimed.

"Otherwise, the most important beings are the highest deities in charge of the multiverse. The second most important are the staff that are running Yggdrasil, the world computer-tree...thing. Those lot are the ones keeping time running smoothly...at least, in the worlds connected to the tree. They think that they know about the whole multiverse, but they haven't even scratched the surface. They don't take their jobs entirely seriously, and I feel that they'll get what's coming to them one day...Enough about them, though. After them, the Oogakiri family is the closest resemblance to the organization that I'm starting as well as the third most important group that I know of. I know them on a personal basis, and we're on good terms with each other."

"You sure have a lot of...unique connections."

"It comes with being a dimensional traveler."

"Anything else important I should know?"

"...I can bend space to my will."

"...That's all?"

"I think so, yes."

"Oh. I thought it was something huge. And ridiculous. Like bending space."

"Are...you okay?"

"Oh, yes, I'm just fine. It isn't like I was just overloaded with information that is completely insane or anything. No, I'm fine."

"I know it's a lot to take in...baby steps, Amane."

"I...I suppose you're right, though I still need a minute to process everything."

"Okay...I do want to know this, though. Why are you so ready to agree to my proposition?"

"I trust you. I may not have known you for very long, but there's a part of me that's telling me to trust and follow you, no matter what."

Morce narrowed his eyes slightly. 'Could she...No...It couldn't be...Could it? Could she possibly have a soul bond to _me_ of all people? I doubt it, though I suppose it is worth keeping an eye on.'

"In that case, when our time in this world is over, I will take you with me to the rest of the multiverse. That is a long time from now, however, and we should really get back to the matter at hand," Morce said as he stood up, briefly hugging Amane as he did so.

"Thank you for listening to me ramble on about my life," Morce smiled.

"It was nothing. You needed some support," Amane replied.

Morce closed his eyes. "The hug was nice too."

Amane blushed slightly as she also stood up. "Shouldn't we get back to my training now?"

Morce looked at the sky for a moment. "Yeah, if the sun was still up."

"Huh?" Amane wondered before she too looked up. "We were talking for that long?!" she exclaimed.

"It would appear so. We can start your martial arts training tomorrow. For now, we need to rest," Morce replied as he yawned. He then started walking towards the guild, with Amane trailing not far behind.

* * *

><p><em>The Next Day...<em>

The morning went as usual. The duo woke up, met with the guild members, and chanted the morning cheer. Before they could get to work, however...

"**Hey, you two! **Get over here on **the DOUBLE**!" Loudred exclaimed.

"What is it this time?" Morce asked Amane, who shrugged in reply. "Well, I suppose we should go see."

The two walked over to where Loudred was conversing with Diglett. "Are you sure that they can handle it? I mean, they are only rookies-"

"Yo, Loudred. What did you need exactly?" Morce asked.

"Ah, you've arrived. **Good**. You two have a new assignment today. Diglett here will explain the details," Loudred finished, then walked away. Diglett turned to face the pair.

"Thank you for stopping by. I would normally handle sentry duty myself, but my dad tasked me with updating the bulletin boards instead," Diglett explained.

"What do we have to do?" Amane asked.

"Oh it's quite simply. You merely have to look at the footprints of the Pokemon about to enter the guild, and then notify the Pokemon at the end of this tunnel," Diglett motioned to the hole behind him. "Usually that would be Loudred, but it appears that he's busy too..."

"Actually, I'll be handling Loudred's part today," Q replied as he appeared out of nowhere. "A bit of advice; watch your step in there. I bruised myself pretty badly when my team got stuck with sentry duty. Amane, you should probably use your fire to light the way," Q suggested.

"Alright then. Let's go, Morce," Amane said as she jumped into the hole. Morce glanced down the hole, shrugged in acceptance, and hopped down after Amane.

Amane landed lightly on her feet and created a small tail flame. "Wow. This is pretty cool. I wonder if-" she was cut off as Morce landed smoothly directly behind her...and then tripped on a vine.

"Oof!" Amane groaned as Morce fell into her, knocking them both over.

"Sorry," he grunted as he got up. "I have no idea how that happened."

"It's fine...didn't you land on my flame?"

"Oh, look at that. Pretty fire. Why do I feel warmer?"

"That's because you're on fire."

"Oh, I'm also on fire. Interesting," Morce replied nonchalantly while glancing at his burning paws. He then punched twice, the fire adding its own sound effect. "Very interesting," Morce replied, now more intrigued as he looked at his still burning paws. Amane sweat-dropped as she watched him mess around.

"Stop messing around and get to sentry-ing!" Q yelled from above. Morce and Amane blushed and quickly scuttled through the tunnel. Not long later they came to a light from the grate outside the guild.

"Well, this is where it gets boring," Morce said. "I have a deck of cards with me somewhere if you want to play..." Morce stuck his paw into a pocket...on his leg...and pulled out a stack of playing cards.

Amane gave Morce a confused look, which prompted a tutorial. After ten minutes of explanation, the two were playing poker while conversing about general topics. Every once in a while, a foot would appear. Morce would describe it in detail to Amane, who then proceeded to yell to Q who the Pokemon was. They quickly lost track of time and were only snapped out of it when Q yelled back to them.

"Alright, we're done for the day!"

Morce got up and stretched. "Well, that wasn't too bad, actually. I'll try to think of some way to train while we're down here just in case we get stuck doing this again." Amane nodded in agreement.

"It was nice, and I enjoyed talking with you. Still, I'm hungry, and tired, and a fire type. Being underground is not something I'm overly enthusiastic about. So, I say we head back now," she replied, leading the way back through the tunnel.

When they popped back into the guild, Q, Diglett, and Loudred were all waiting for them. "Q tells me that you two did an **excellent** job today, so I'm going to be **generous** and give you a **REWARD**!" Loudred exclaimed with a smile.

Amane and Morce blinked as they were handed 500 Poké, along with a seed of some kind. "Thank you, but...what exactly is this?" Morce asked, holding out the seed.

"That is a Joy Seed. It is said to bring joy to those who eat it. It can also be shared, but..." Amane trailed off. Morce raised an eyebrow, and when Amane didn't answer, shrugged and moved on.

"Well, I'm glad we could help with sentry duty and all but...when's dinner?" Morce asked as his stomach growled.

"Should be soon," Amane replied. Then her stomach growled causing her to blush while the others chuckled at her expense. Chimecho then signaled that dinner was ready, and the group hurried towards the kitchen.

After dinner, Q sat just outside the guild. "So, have you found anything out about the possible location?"

A grunt answered back.

"Well, I suppose that was to be expected. How are things on the other front?"

An unintelligible reply followed.

"So, it begins. The real question is who did it and what their motive is."

Another grunt.

"No. We don't act unless we have to. Our story is over, although we'll probably end up playing a part in this one. Still, for now, just keep searching. Something will have to turn up eventually."

One last reply echoed, then faded away.

"Morce...Amane...I hope you train and prepare, because I have a feeling that things will turn dark far sooner than we could have anticipated. For your sake, Morce, I hope your vision was just a fluke. If it wasn't and you do have _that _power...things are about to become very difficult both for you...and Amane.


End file.
